Paris Marathon champion Cyprian Kotut is among a galaxy of Kenyan stars to headline the 46th edition of the TCS Amsterdam Marathon in the Netherlands on October 16.

 Kotut of Kapsabet-based 2Running Club is eager to run another personal best on the flat course, having won Paris Marathon, improving his best by almost two minutes to 2:07:11.

“I think I can run faster now. Actually, I will try to go for a personal best. I am confident because I have trained well for this race,” said Kotut.

In April this year, he smashed the race course record during the 36th edition of the Haspa Marathon that was held in Hamburg, Germany.

The 30-year-old came to this race with a personal best of 2:07.13 which he got at the 2016 Paris Marathon where he took the honours. He lived to his expectations of targeting the race course record of 2:05.30 that had been set by World Marathon record holder, Eliud Kipchoge in 2013.

Kotut trounced Kissa with a powerful kick, setting a new course record of 2:04.47 which is also his personal best.

Kissa who was making his marathon debut was forced to settle in second but managed to smash the Ugandan National Record (NR) with a time of 2:04.48.

Ethiopia’s Workineh Tadesse closed the podium three finishes when he crossed the finish line under the old course record in a new personal best of 2:05.07.

Cutting the tape

Last year he led a Kenyan 1-2 podium finish during the Firenze Marathon held in Italy as he fought for the honours with fellow Kenyan, Samuel Lomoi cutting the tape in 2:08.59 as he missed the race course record with 19 seconds. The race course record of seventeen years set by James Kutto still stands.

Kotut was followed a minute later by Lomoi who crossed the line in 2:09.54 with Olivier Irabaruta from Burundi closing the first three podium finishes in 2:10.13.

Kotut will be up against fellow Kenyan Titus Kipruto and Ethiopia’s Lemi Berhanu among others. Kipruto made a huge impression by winning the Milan marathon. In his second marathon, he finished in 2:05:05.Lemi Berhanu also knows all about winning. He has won the Dubai (2015), Boston (2016) and Xiamen (2017) marathons, among other